Heresy & Heroes

Another unit all done! Yes, it took me too long, but it was worth it – I love the look of my new Blood Angels Legion Tactical Squad and they’ve definitely got that 2nd Ed feel to them that I was going for. What’s more, you all got to follow along with the tutorial posts which was really fun. Happily, the photos here are a lot better than the ones in those tutorial posts, so let’s take a look at the latest addition to my small, but growing, Blood Angels Legion army.

In a rare feat, I don’t think there’s anything that I really had issues with here. It was a very comfortable project to work on and it all went well. Between now having a grip on the Blood Angels paint scheme that I’m working to, and the fact that this is a relatively simple kit, there just aren’t too many negatives to bring up, and that’s great!

Yes, I still love those reds (how could you not!) so that’s a win. I think I got the eyes pretty much spot on with these guys too, and the bolters, each with their different markings, look really good as well, if I do say so myself.

I still really like the ‘winged blood drop’ shoulder pad from Forge World (used on my despoiler squad) – that gleam from the ‘Ardcoat really brings it to life. And the subtle ‘weathering’ (if you can call it that) – the kicked up ash and slight scratches really do a lot to break up the red armour and add a little bit of recent history to the models.

The kit itself is fun, but I have to say, working on 9 basic bolters can seem a laborious task. It’s amazing how much you miss the occasional melta gun or missile launcher. While those options are both part of the kit, these guys are going to be my most basic troop choice so it’s boring bolters only. It’s a bit of a churn, but it’s worth it to see these guys like this. And the reason, I did 10 and not 20? Well, I’d like to have them riding to war in a rhino one day, and besides, if I were doing 20, I’d be writing this in December! Also, I have plans for the other 10…

There aren’t too many different bits on these guys – I only used a couple of the more basic heads from the Forge World Blood Angels upgrade kit to break things up a little but it still felt like a bit of a slog at some times. The Vexilla was a nice touch to break things up though, and I’m really happy with how this one came out.

The backpacks all have their knives on them – a good looking piece but a tad fiddly to add on to the pack. These were the last things I painted for these guys and while they only took me 30 minutes-ish to paint each, I’m still glad to see the back of them – ha ha.

And I’ve done my first blond haired Blood Angel too – the Sergeant who wields a chunky combi-flamer to further add to the firepower that this squad can bring. Blond is actually much harder to paint than I first thought, but I think I nailed it with this guy. And I still really like the way those black shoulder pads frame the mini. Can’t wait to clean house with this guy on the table top!

That’s that done then. Another squad completed and on to the next one – whatever that may be. In the meantime, I might indulge in a week away from my paintbrushes – just a week – to give myself a little break. I think I’ve earned it. But stay tuned for the next post. Onwards!